Research Reactor Aluminum Spent Fuel Treatment Options for Disposal (1998) / Chapter Skim
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3. Waste-Package Performance Criteria
3. Waste-Package Performance Criteria
Pages 56-76
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From page 56... ...
In the context of this charge, the term waste package refers to the "road-ready" package discussed in Chapter I It consists of a metal disposable canisters that contains several aluminum spent fuel elements or the treated equivalents (e.g., metal ingots produced by melt and dilute treatment)
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From page 57... ...
, Disposal of High-Level Radioactive Wastes in Geologic Repositories (USNRC, 1997~; · Mined Geological Disposal System Waste Acceptance Criteria, published by the Management and Operating Contractor for the DOE-Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (TRW, 1997a) ; · Alternative Aluminum Spent Nuclear Fuel Treatment Technology Development Status Report (WSRC, 1997a)
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From page 58... ...
Thus, at present, DOE is faced with the difficulty of developing repository and waste package designs to conform to EPA standards that do not yet exist. 6 Specifically, the act designates the director of DOE's Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management as the party responsible for carrying out these tasks, acting under the general supervision of the Secretary of Energy.
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From page 59... ...
These criteria cover the characteristics of He waste and associated disposable canisters Mat affect the safety of the '`back end' of Me disposal process that is, receipt of the waste at Yucca Mountain, transfer of the waste into disposal containers, transport of the waste into the repository, emplacement of waste in the repository drifts, and repository performance. The criteria are based on USNRC regulations (e.g., 10 CFR 60)
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From page 60... ...
The aluminum spent file! must conform to the criteria in the second category, because DOE-Savannah River has decided to place the waste in disposable canisters that do not need to be reopened before emplacement in Me repository outer container that is being designed by DOE-Yucca Mountain (e.g., WSRC, 1997a, p.
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From page 61... ...
~Canistering of Degraded or Damaged SNF 2.1.4.2 Canistering of SNF Debns and Corrosion Products 2.1.4.3 Canistering of Non-Fuel Components 2.1.5-2.1.19 Placeholder for Future Text General and Descriptive Criteria for Canistered Waste 2.1.20 2.1.21 2.1.22 2.1.23 2.1.24 2.1.25 2.1.26 2.1.27 2.1.28 Provisions for Disposable Canister Materials Requirement that Canisters be Sealed Limits on Free Liquids in Canistered SNF Maximum Allowable Quantity of Particulates Limits on Pyrophoric Materials Limits on Combustible, Explosive, or Chemically Reactive Waste Forms Provision for Unique, Permanent Canister Labeling Provision for Tamper-Indicating Devices (TID) on Canisters Not Seal Welded Physical Condition Of Disposable Canisters Physical and Dimensional Criteria for Canistered Waste 2.2.20.1 Dimensional Envelope for Disposable Single-Element Canisters 2.2.20.2 Dimensional Envelope for Disposable Multi-Element Canisters 2.2.20.3 Dimensional Envelope for Disposable DOE-Owned SNF 2.2.21.1 Weight of Disposable Single-Element Canisters 2.2.21.2 Weight of Disposable Multi-Element Disposable SNF Canisters 2.2.21.3 Weight of Disposable DOE-Owned SNF Canisters 2.2.22.1 Capability to Lift Commercial SNF Canisters 2.2.22.2 Capability to Lift DOE-Owned SNF Canisters Chemical Compatibility Criteria for Canistered Waste 2.3.20.1 Limits on Radionuclide Inventories in Single-Element Canisters 2.3.20.2 Limits on Radionuclide Inventories in Multi-Element Canisters 2.3.21 Limits on Total Fissile Material in a Disposable Canister 2.3.22 Limits on Disposable Canister Criticality Potential 2.3.23 Limits on Organic Materials in Canistered SNF
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From page 62... ...
OTHER REQUIREMENTS Although the focus of this chapter is on waste acceptance criteria, it is important to recognize that at least three other sets of requirements must be satisfied before the aluminum spent fuel or its processed equivalent can be shipped to Yucca Mountain for disposal. First, after treatment, the aluminum spent fuel will be placed in Interim dry storage at Savannah River until it can be shipped to a repository, and it must conform to a set of interim storage criteria being developed by DOESavannah River.
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From page 63... ...
TABLE 3.2 Criteria for Interim Storage of Aluminum Spent Fuel at Savannah River Criterion No. Description 2 3 4 s 6 Free water remaining within the sealed storage canister after drying is limited to maintain the hydrogen content less than 4% by volume.
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From page 64... ...
Third, the repository itself must meet certain USNRC radionuclide release limits given in 10 CFR 609 and yet-to-be-established EPA dose and possibly ground water standards.' ° To ensure that the repository will comply with these standards, DOE-Yucca Mountain is modeling the long-term performance of the waste forms to be emplaced in the repository, including We aluminum spent filet waste forms, Trough its PA program. 9 10 CFR 60 requires in part that the wastes be emplaced in packages that provide substantially complete containment for 300 to 1,000 years, and that releases from the repository be less than 1 part in 100,000 parts after 1,000 years.
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From page 65... ...
The answer to the first question concerning the identification of important waste-package criteria (Table 3.~) is a qualified "yes." DOESavannah River staff appear to be working closely with their counterparts at DOE-Yucca Mountain to ensure that the important WAC have been identified and that the right kind of work is being done to demonstrate conformance.
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From page 66... ...
As noted above, however, many of Me WAC are preliminary and could change significantly as waste package and repository designs are refined by DOE-Yucca Mountain. Again, a continuation of the dialogue between DOE-Yucca Mountain and DOE-Savannah River will be essential to track and respond effectively to any future changes.
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From page 67... ...
spent filet is shipped across the country and around the world routinely, and the aluminum research reactor spent filet now stored at Savannah River was shipped from offsite at some time in the past. DOE-Savannah River must review the shipping requirements before it finalizes the design of its disposable canisters.
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From page 68... ...
, 2.3.21 (limits on total Missile material in a disposable canister) , and 2.3.22 (limits on disposable canister cnticality potential)
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From page 69... ...
4- ~ 7~4- ~ ~ .) 69 This criterion is of particular concern for direct co-disposal treatment for two reasons.~3 First, DOE-Savannah River will have to characterize the aluminum spent filet to demonstrate that it meets We limits in the table.
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From page 70... ...
151sm 126sn 99Tc* 229Th 230Th 232Th 233u 234~ 23su 23su 238u 93Zr 1.79 x 10" 3.73 x 104 2.16 x 102 2.48 x 102 1.38 x 10 1.11 x 10~ 1.16 x 104 3.36 6.95 x 10 5.13 3.43 x 10 1.82 x 10 8.24 2.36 x 10 3.10 x 10 4.35 3.30 x 104 6.75 x 10 1.26 3.05 x 104 3.56 x 104 5.26 x 103 3.39 x 105 2.01 x 10~ 2.50x 10-5 3.10 x 10-9 4.41 3.53 x 103 8.50 1.42 x 102 3.54 x 10 3.59 x 10-3 4.35 x 10-9 7.01 x 10~ 1.34 x 101 1.68 x 10-' 2.72 3.07 2.38 x 10' a Isotopes with ar~ asterisk represent the largest contributors to total repository release rates in current versions of the PA.
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From page 71... ...
It may also be possible to use bounding analyses based on average values as is done for power reactor fuel. DOE-Savannah River has initiated a program to evaluate the availability and quality of existing fuel property and reactor operation history data for representative aluminum spent fuel types to determine if such data are adequate to meet existing acceptance requirements (WSRC, 1997a)
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From page 72... ...
Enriched aluminum spent fuel contains less fissile material than typical commercial spent fuel,iS so fissile material limits are not likely to be a problem if DOE-Yucca Mountain sets a single limit for all spent fuel to be disposed ~ He repository. If DOE-Yucca Mountain determines Cat lower fissile material Emits are required for aluminum spent fuel, or if lower limits are required for all HEU filet, Den disposal of such fuel using direct co-disposal treatment may not be possible.
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From page 73... ...
The USNRC is revising this rule and may impose different or additional requirements, for example, that We dose consequences of a cnticaiity event also be determined. i6 This criterion is not relevant to aluminum spent fuel.
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From page 74... ...
. Work is currently under way at DOE-Yucca Mountain to assess the cnticality potential of aluminum spent fuel for the direct co-disposal option and is occulting in three phases: Phase I, which examines the criticality potential of degraded filet in an intact disposal camster (i.e., the inner canister in Figure 2.3~; Phase 2, which examines Me criticality potential when the degraded fuel is released from the disposable camster into the co-disposal waste package (the outer container in Figure 2.31; and Phase 3, which examines the criticality potential when the degraded fuel is released from the co-disposal waste package into the repository.
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From page 75... ...
If it cannot, the direct co-disposal treatment option may be eliminated for all or certain types of alyssum spent filet. 2} CONCLUSIONS DOE-Savannah River appears to have identified all of He significant waste acceptance criteria for aluminum spent filet and is engaged in the proper process (~rough close consultation with DOEYucca Mountain)
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From page 76... ...
A single treatment option may not be suitable for all types of aluminum spent fuel.
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